Many E-FORUM readers
have asked what can be done to dissuade the City Council from proceeding
to build an asphalt plant on Canal Boulevard.

Individual contacts with City Council members via phone calls and snail
mail is always important. Email will be read by some members but not
all. However, there is nothing better than group action, and for that I
recommend joining The Richmond Environmental
Defense Fund.

Organization and Mission

The
Richmond Environmental Defense Fund (REDF) is a citizens’ group composed
entirely of volunteers working to protect the Richmond environment. The
mission of the Richmond Environmental Defense Fund is threefold:

1)To ensure that development in
Richmond is well planned, sensitive to the environment and in compliance
with City, state and federal laws;

2)To work with other groups to
ensure environmental protection and well planned development in Richmond
and surrounding areas; and

3)To work toward reducing
existing toxic contamination and preventing future contamination in the
City of Richmond.

The REDF’s hope is that
by speaking up on environmental issues, they will help create a City
government in which responsiveness to citizens’ concerns, sensitivity to
the environment, and respect for local and state law are of the highest
priority. REDF works to increase public awareness and influence
policymaking through participation in the public process. It submits
written and verbal comments to local governments and public agencies on
environmental issues, sponsors letter-writing campaigns, seeks legal
assistance when necessary, and publishes a quarterly newsletter.

REDF has collaborated
with a number of other environmental groups including the Urban Creeks
Council, the El Sobrante Valley Legal Defense Fund, and Communities for
a Better Environment on issues such as development of the North Richmond
Shoreline, Chevron LPG spheres, development of Wildwood Creek in El
Cerrito, and most recently the proposed Owens-Corning asphalt plant.
REDF has also spoken out on regional issues such as preservation of
Contra Costa County’s greenbelt.

History

The Richmond
Environmental Defense Fund formed three years ago when a group of
citizens organized to oppose the Seacliff Estates development next to
Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline. Many citizens felt that this project
was poorly suited to the proposed site, and would have unacceptable
environmental impacts, including harm to wetlands, creeks, historical
resources, wildlife habitat, and rare native plants. We also felt that
the City’s General Plan prohibited this kind of development, but was
being ignored.

REDF members first tried
to stop Seacliff by pressuring the City Council and the state and
federal resource agencies not to approve the project as proposed, and
second by litigating. While REDF was ultimately unsuccessful at
blocking Seacliff, it did force the developer to agree to somewhat
better mitigation measures for wetland and wildlife impacts.
Nevertheless, REDF’s position is that badly planned, poorly sited
projects like Seacliff should never be approved in Richmond again.

In the process of
studying the Seacliff property, members of REDF discovered that portions
of the area were contaminated with asbestos, and that a toxic waste
containment facility nearby was falling apart. REDF contacted the
Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) and learned that the
asbestos contamination was a result of an inadequate cleanup effort, and
the containment facility did not meet the specifications that DTSC had
approved. Through REDF’s efforts, a committee was formed to work with
DTSC to force a proper cleanup of the site. That cleanup was completed
this year.

How to Get Involved with REDF

Citizen members are the
heartbeat of REDF. If you would like to support RDF’s efforts, and be
kept informed of REDF’s activities though a quarterly newsletter, you
can become a member of REDF by sending a $5.00 membership fee to: